The heart and soul of the Lehigh women’s basketball team has graduated.

Guess who the Mountain Hawks recruited?

Guards.

Three of them.

Gone but not forgotten is Erica Prosser, one of the best players in the program’s history. The two-time Patriot League player of the year was instrumental in Lehigh’s three consecutive 20-win seasons and three consecutive postseason appearances.

The three new faces are: Mary Jo Horgan, Sarah Williams and Katie O’Reilly.

“We feel this is a group of guards who will fit very well into our Lehigh system of play,” Troyan said. “All three guards bring versatility to their positions, they can all contribute at both ends of the floor, and they all come from highly successful high school programs that have traditionally been one of the best in their states. We expect all of them to make strong contributions to our program and to help in building on the current success of our program.”

Horgan will be one of several players asked to fill the void left by Prosser. A 5-foot-8 combo guard, Horgan starred four Mount St. Joseph Academy outside Philadelphia. A first team Class 4A all-state selection as a senior, Horgan was named 2011 Southeastern Pennsylvania Girls Player of the Year by the Philadelphia Inquirer and Girls Player of the Year by the Times-Herald. A four-year varsity performer and two-year captain, Horgan averaged 15.3 points, 4.0 steals and 3.2 assists per game as a senior and finished her career with 1,086 career points. As a senior, Horgan led Mount St. Joseph Academy to a 28-4 record, a District I championship and a berth in the Elite Eight at the state tournament. Off the court, Horgan is a league all-star field hockey performer with a 3.64 GPA.

“Mary Jo is a tough nosed, competitive guard who knows how to win,” Troyan said. “She’s coming off an outstanding senior year where she helped her team win league and district titles, while going deep into the state tournament. Not only is Mary Jo a winner, but she is a relentless worker and competitor with a high level of personal drive, we’re excited for her to bring these qualities to our program.”

O’Reilly is a 5-11 wing player from New Jersey high school powerhouse St. John Vianney. A 1,000 point scorer and McDonalds All-American nominee, O’Reilly averaged 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals per game, and shot 87 percent from the free throw line. O’Reilly earned numerous All-Division, All-County and All-Shore honors in her high school career and was twice named to the non-public school All-State team. St. John Vianney was 113-15 in O’Reilly’s four years with four conference championships and four non-public school state titles. In 2010, O’Reilly was named Most Valuable Player in the New Jersey State Championship Game and the MVP of the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions, which St. John Vianney won. MSG Varsity ranked O’Reilly sixth on its list of top 100 players in the state of New Jersey. A four-year honor roll student, O’Reilly is a member of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society and the National Society of High School Scholars.

“Katie is a versatile athlete who comes from an outstanding high school program where she has had a high level of personal and team success,” Troyan said. “She is a talented player who has the ability to play the wing and small forward positions.

“Her strengths are her willingness and desire to play both ends of the floor, her versatility to defend at multiple positions, and her versatility to score in many ways – on the perimeter, in transition, and around the basket. We’re very excited for what she will bring to our program and feel like she will be a great fit with our style of play.”

Williams, a 5-9 combo guard from Fenwick High School in Illinois, rounds out the incoming class. She came into her own during her senior season as she earned All-Area, All-Conference, and eventually third team All-State honors in 2011, while also being selected as a McDonalds All-America nominee. Williams was an All-Tournament Team selection at the Niles North Thanksgiving Tournament and Dundee Crown Christmas Tournament in both her junior and senior seasons. She was a major contributor to the success of the Fenwick program, which won four regional titles and three sectional titles, while finishing third in the state in 2010. In the classroom, Williams is a four-year honor roll student and a member of the National Honor Society.

“Sarah is an outstanding athlete who comes from a very strong high school program with a rich tradition of success at Fenwick High School,” Troyan said. “She’s coming off a very strong senior season where she led her team to the sectional finals. Sarah possesses a high level of personal drive and commitment, we expect her to make contributions at both the shooting guard and point guard positions this season, and look forward to the qualities she will bring to our team.”

The three newcomers join a group of 12 returnees for the Mountain Hawks, who were 21-11 a year ago and qualified for the WNIT. Lehigh, winners of the last three Patriot League regular season titles, made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009-10.

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About this blog

Morning Call Sports Reporters Stephen Miller and Tom Housenick blog about high school and college sports action on and off the field in and around the Lehigh Valley, only at themorningcall.com.

Meet the bloggers

TOM HOUSENICK watches every move Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum makes on the court, laughs at every joke by Lafayette coach Fran O’Hanlon and watches all the Divisions II and III coaches and players do it for the love of the game. Basketball makes the cold weather season go by fast. Already can’t wait for late February and early March when each possession could result in a season ending or continuing on.

Wrapping up his ninth year at The Morning Call, STEPHEN MILLER is back for year No. 4 on the LVC football beat. He chronicled Central Catholic's state-championship run in 2010, watched Nazareth win its first LVC title in 2011 and saw the league crown tri-champions for the first time in 2012. He has also covered the Phillies, college football and a variety of prep sports while with The Morning Call. To stay updated on the 2013 LVC football season, check out the Varsity blog and follow him on Twitter @mcall_smiller.